Salt container



R. G. FERRIS SALT CONTAINER Jan. 5, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Dec. 28, 1949 Jan. 5, 1954 R. G. FERRIS 2,664,856

SALT CONTAINER Filed Dec. 28, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 5, 1954 SALT CONTAINER Robert G. Ferris, Harvard, Ill., assignor to Statline Inc., a corporation of Illinois Application December 28, 1949, Serial No. 135,322

Claims. (Cl. 1153-51) This invention relates to a container for salt and more particularly to such a container for use in dairy barns.

The usual dairy barn has a milking platform separated by metal supports into a group of stalls placing the cows in the proper positions for milking. Each stall has a stanchion mounted in a metal frame and the cow is held in the proper position by the stanchion. It has been found in the practice of dairy husbandry that a cow gives down her milk more readily if she is provided with food, water and salt at the time she is being milked. Most dairy barns therefore provide a shallow concrete or wood manger in front of the stalls in which hay can be placed for the cow to munch on and a water bucket or bowl is generally attached to the frame of the stall to provide water for the cow. Salt is also provided by placing a container such as a cup or bowl attached either to the frame of the stall or the water bucket. Insofar as I am aware, the salt container has always been attached to the metal parts of the stall, thus presenting a serious corrosion problem, because as the cow licks the salt she adds moisture thereto which forms a brine highly corrosive to metal. When the cow licks the salt she inevitably spills brine upon the metal posts and frame of the stall, thus corroding these parts. Salt cups or bowls fastened to the Water bucket or the frame of the stall are very difficult to cleanse and to keep clean.

The container of the present invention is preferably a substantially rectangular upright ceramic frame member having glazed surfaces and is adapted to be cemented or otherwise mounted upon a surface of the building in front of the cow milking stalls. The preferred mounting position is upon the far sloping surface of the manger, although the container may be affixed to a horizontal or an upright surface if more convenient. In the preferred position, the container presents no impediment or obstruction to the cleaning of the manger. The brine which forms when the cow licks the salt is permitted to pass through drainage slots in the container and flow into the bottom of the shallow feed manger, where it may be easily swept up and removed with the old feed. The container bonded onto the manger locates the salt within easy reach of the cow; but it is so far removed from any metal stall members that the corrosion hazard is obviated.

In many of the big dairy areas the cattle must be housed in the barn for many months of the year, and during these months they live right in the milking stalls. The matter of cleanliness is therefore of great importance, both from the viewpoint of pure milk production and from the viewpoint of maintaining the health of the cattle. Corroded metal surfaces are very difficult to keep clean, and thus elimination of corrosion is a factor of prime importance.

The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a cow stall with the manger and oor in section, showing the container and salt block mounted on the sloping surface of the manger;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the container and salt block mounted on a perpendicular surface of a barn;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the container with the container partially in section as along line 3-3 in Fig. 4;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is an end elevation looking toward the lower end of the container as seen in Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is an end elevation looking toward the upper end of the container as seen in Fig. 1, partially broken away to show the structure of a side Wall; and

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of .a key member comprising part of the device.

As best seen in Fig. 1. the container I is mounted on the sloping surface 2 of a feeding manger in front of the cow-milking stalls in a dairy barn. A block of salt 3 is held in the container so that the cow may easily lick the salt while standing in the stall.

The container comprises a substantially rectangular upright frame member consisting of side walls and 4a and end walls 5 and 5a defining an enclosure open both at the top and bottom. The walls may be made of non-corrosive metal, Wood, plastic, molded concrete or other material; but are preferably made of ceramic material which is glazed so as to have an impervious surface. The upper surfaces 6 of the walls are rounded so as to present a smooth surface to the cow. The bottom surfaces l of the Walls all lie in a plane which is substantially perpendicular to the walls, and form the base of the container. When the container frame is made of ceramic material all exposed surfaces are glazed to present a corrosion resistant surface and the bottom surfaces 1 of the walls are left unglazed so as to be easily bonded to the surface of the manger with a suitable bonding material which is preferably water, acid and salt proof.

As best seen in Fig. 6 the inner faces of the sides walls 4 and 4a are offset inwardly to form undercut recesses or grooves 8 which preferably extend to the bottom of the side walls and are alined with generally coextensive openings 9 which extend from the outer face to the inner face of the end wall 5. As best seen in Fig. 5 the opposite end wall Sahas smalldrainage-slots l0 which may be located anywhere said wall but which for ease of manufacture are preferably alined with the recesses 8. The slots l0 are of smaller cross-section than the recesses 8 so as to provide abutments partly closing said recesses. The brine which forms when the cow licks the salt :flows into the container frame and escapes through the drainage slots `Il); and when the device is mounted on a sloping surface *of zthe manger, as shown in Fig. 1, the drainage is by gravity.

The container is .proportioned to accommoda'te a commeroially -"available four .pound -sa'lt broek which is 'iiianfaturdwith ajlngt'uuinalgroove ll'along each'si'le. Apai'roffgenerally L-shaped key members I2 ofwood,poroeleinjnon corrosive metal or other stbleriiafnal having upright bases i3 and Aflang'e`sflr-4 land are 'of 'suitable dimensions to be inserted through the openings 9 'andintoth'e Vrecesses @with the, flanges I4 engaging "the grooves `Il 'thesalt block. The key ineinbers look 'the salt block in position in the container frme 'by bearing against the "top walls 'of 'the "recesses B and 'engaging 'the grooves Il so that their iiangesI i4y overlie the lower portions Vof 'said V'g'ioz'v'es 'which 'tl'is serve as terloek'ing shoulders llo. A'Thus, nthe cow oannot dislodge the salt block froin 'the "ntaine'r sind permit it "te drop into 'the reed 'in the manger. Obviosly'if the 'oontln `is ni'ted in 'a fsl'bstantia-lly horizontal -position these key 'ininbeis I2 need not b'e se.

A salt block which does not have `a longitudinal groove along its side Iina'y be vsied 'in the 'eo'ntaine'i' by employing (a Jiiie'ldge finenb'e'r having 'a sharpened 0'1- poij ed prtrusidn, 'which 'wedge member 'may be 'driven 'into its pide-'er position with the j'rtun biting rinto the salt block t0 lock it within the container. y ,y

If vit is desired, loose salt 'iy 'be placed in the retaining frame and after the, Qcow has jpai"- take'n of some -f "tHe-sait Yit will beemebaked because of the brime ferm-ed. The -sa'it 'wi'uthen 'mold itself about :the pronti-sion of the wedge member a'nd be looked in the container lin "the same manner as a block of salt.

The term non-corrosive is vusedrhgerein, t'o ineen a material vwhich is notjdeleteriouslyfafected'by a saturated solution 'of sodiinn "chloride While I have 'shownandde'seribed 'certain fern'- bodiments Vof my invention, it is to be tindex*- 'stood that it is oap'ableof ina'ny 'modifications Changes, therefore, inthe eonstruct'in 'a' 'f 'r'- ifangement may be madewithout depazrtingj om the spirit and 'scope of the'invention 'as disclosed in the appended olainis.

l. A feast container "of non=oo`rrosive `rna`te` rial which V"has a rtrghe'ne'd base adaptedto be securedadjacent a "cow sta'll "andfto'reeeive "a salt lblock which 'hasfonefof vits `tipi-ight 'faces pro'- `vided with "va shoulder, fco'mprisin'g: "contnoifs 4 upstanding end walls and side walls forming a rectangular frame, there being an opening at the base of an end Wall adjacent a side Wall which extends from the outer to the inner face of said end Wall, a continuous undercut groove in said side wall aligned with a portion of said opening, and a drainage slot in the other end wall aligned with'a rportiori'of, said opening; and a Vremovable 'key meinbe'r which may beinserted :through said opening and extend beneath said undercut groove,

lsaid key member having a lateral projection at its top adapted to overlie the shoulder in a salt bloc'k in said frame.

2. The 'container of claim 1 in which the -frame ihas a at bottom for attachment to a planar, ,non-horizontal surface with the drainage sltat 'the "lwernostpart of the frame, the container has an open bottom so that the salt block rests on said surface, and the opening, undercut, and drainage slot all form recesses in the flat Ibttorn of the frame.

3. A container' having a roughened base adapted to be secured adjacent "a 'cow stall, `said container being' 'adapte'd to receive a salt block which has one of its Iupright 'faces provided with a shoulder', comprising: a frame lxrieinber having a `continuous upstan'ding wall with outer 'and inner faces which has 'an 'opening :from its'outer to its niner face adjacent vits base, a portion of the inner iaee of 'said lwall having an undercut groove parallel 'to the base which merges into said opening; and a vremovable key member in said opening and Yhaving a vportion extending into said undercut groove,said 'key member having a portion 'whioh is adapted to overlie the shoulder in la Ysalt block in vsaid '.faine.

4. The 'ontanei 0f Claim 3 in which the fra'memeniberha's end wall portions and side wall portions "so that 'it is rectangular, the opening is in v'an 'end 'wall portion, vand the 'undercut groove 'extends eo'ntinu'ously along a side wall ini'n- Y5. The oontainerrjof 'claim 3 in 4which the cont'inuoiis`ivall has 'a nat 'bottom for attachment to a planar, 'non-horizontal "surface, the container has a'n 'open botto'r'n 'so that the salt block rests on said Vsurface, A anda drainage v"slotis provided inthe base of V'the 'wall substantiallyopposite the pe'ning'fr the 'key member. l o A H 'ROBERT G. 'FERR/IS.

fnleferentes enea in 'the fiile o'f this patent 'UNITED STATES PATEN "frs 

